Forever Friends

"Scriptures can calm an agitated soul"

I jerked out of sleep and came to realize that I was quoting scripture. My subconscious had come to know that in frighting moments I needed to scriptures. I had been having a terrible dream and had apparently turned to the scriptures to find comfort and peace without even thinking about it. I've thought about this experience often sense then. We all too often take too long figuring out are own problems and turning to the world, when in reality we should turn to the scriptures and to the Lord. When we give our minds the opportunity to memorize scripture we give ourselves the blessing of having an answer and a friend to help us in every phase of our lives! We should in reality become so familiar with the scriptures that we quote them the moment our lives are frightening. As we do this we find immediate peace and comfort in this world so full of fear and doubt! Find a new forever friend today by memorizing a verse of scripture today ;)

Coming Together

I pulled out the picture of my grandmother holding back tears. I have only a few memories of her loving smile and teaching me to love life! I slept with a blankie she made me until it started to fall apart. Now years latter I sat across the country from all that I had known and loved, so far away from my friends and family. My mother had sent me a box with pictures from my grandmothers mission. For the first time in my life I realized the importance of remembering those who have lived before us. I now have these pictures hanging on my wall, they remind me that I am not alone, that others have walked through and experienced what I have and that I have angels all around me.

God has given us amazing resources so that we may learn of those who have passed on before us. He has done this so that we can learn from them and feel of their love. So that we can feel the spirit of Elijah, in this way God can turn the hearts of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:6) I know that in this way God can save His children by reminding them of the promises He holds true to and the life we must live.

Find a story of one of your ancestors today! Read it! Learn from it! And watch the generations come together ;)

Walking With Him

"Maybe the greater blessing for us is to have to walk through it with Him!"

I was too tired to keep my eyes open as the prophesier mumbled about muscle contractions and something about disks?! How had I gotten myself here, working all night, studying all day and attempting to fit time in for everything else. Sounds like life right? If this is how you fell then Elder Christofferson is talking to you!

In this moment of my life it was nearly impossible for me to do all that was required of me. At the end of each day it took all my strength to fall to my knees. While I had family and friends near I had nowhere to turn for the strength and energy that I needed except to the Lord. I couldn't think past today, I simply had to take each day one at a time and be content with what the Lord gave me for that day. As I learned how to depend on the Lord for all I needed I grew closer to heaven then I have in my entire life. I finally began to understand how near God is and all that we are meant to learn on this journey through mortality.

As each of us go through these struggles in life let us learn to live one day at a time with the Lord at our side. Don't look too far past today. Take what is given you and come to learn that the greater blessing truly is walking with the Lord.

Far But Close

The Lord works so that we may grow. Though He seems to work so far away He is always near. As we look out at the world we can see it., in all that He's given us. He is our protector and our gentle friend. Let us look a little closer so that we may understand how it all came to be. Our God is our Father, He loves and watches over us always!

The Mountain Peak

"There's a tight turn coming!" The voice from in front of me said. I knew this voice well it had guided me through many trails before and through most of the major events in my life. I trusted it and though I couldn't see the turn through the trees a pulsed my brakes to slow down and griped my handle bars tight . Sure enough seconds later I speed through a turn that I nearly couldn't make even at my slowed speed. My dad turned around a smiled "Nice job! That one is impossible to see coming unless you know the trail!" 
"Thanks! and thanks for the warning I would have turfed it good time."
This had became my weekends. Spending the days in the mountains on a mountain bike with my dad as my guide. He knew every turn of every trail we rode. He'd worn me of turns that would lead to injury and of hard hills or rocks that lay a head. Most days I would listen to his advice, but every so often I would think I could handle a rock, or curve and would end up face in the dirt and usually blood on my leg! We'd laugh, pick up and move on, his voice still guiding. Until we reached the mountain peak with a view of the valley that was worth the work!

This is much like our lives. We are moving at high speeds with many trees blocking our view. Ahead are dangers that have the potential to not just bloody our leg but to destroy us entirely. As we have gone through life we have learned to trust the Holy Ghost as it warns us of danger "walk out of the movie" it whispers long before we understand why, "stay home tonight" it may say with no reason that we can see. Though we trust this voice often and end up safely avoiding a dangerous situation, much too often we don't listen and end up face down in the dirt, broken and bleeding. It is at these times in life that we make the most valuable decision of all. We can sit on the ground and continue to not listen to the voice that is our guide. Or we can laugh and cry a little, realize that wasn't a good idea, make a conscious diction to listen once again to the gentle warning voice and finish the ride. It is when we listen and realize that we can move on that we finally reach the joy and the end of our journey. I know that we can make it! There are beautiful views along the way that we may stop and see. Then in the end we will reach the mountain peak with a view beyond imagination. Keep peddling and never forget to listen to your guide. That still small voice of the Holy Ghost.

What Moves The World

"Where can you read that in the scriptures?" she asked. 
"Nowhere," I replied closing my scriptures. We had reached the point of our discussion that I knew would come. She wanted proof from the scriptures and all I had was faith. Faith that what the Prophet has asked of us is what the Lord wants of us.

Faith is the driving force in our lives. Without faith we wouldn't even have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Yet, every morning up we get and on to life with faith that we will make it to the end of another day. All because of faith the world keeps on moving. No real proof of anything, many theories and ideas that science has given but no real proof of anything. We simply live by faith. For me faith is enough. In the end I've seen that getting up in the morning and going to work allows me money and joy. In this sense I have come to know that if I work I'll make money. I still need faith that it will really happen but you could say that it is a knowledge I have come to gain. For the most part it works too ;)

My faith in the gospel is much the same. We could read all day long yet without faith what do any of the words mean? When you decide to have faith in the Lord and His teachings, just like getting up each morning, you begin to see the effects of it and you come to know it is true. We must be willing to work at it and try it for a time. Alma explained this by comparing faith to planting a seed, he said:

"whatsoever is light, is ^bgood, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?

Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.

 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

 But if ye ^aneglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ^aground is ^bbarren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the ^atree of life." Alma 32:35-40

Results don't come right away but keep believing, keep trusting. Have faith and we will one day eat of the fruit of the tree of life together! :)

Faith For Family

I am grateful for the faith of my whole family. My parents for having and raising me. My brothers for loving and encouraging me. My sister-in-laws for joining our family and beginning families of there own. My entire extended family for their examples of strength and their never failing love. 

Take a moment to think about your family and how you have exercised faith together to grow and move forward in a difficult world. Keep going! Move forward with faith in the Lord and faith in your family.

Believe In Christ

"Hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these word believe in Christ. and if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these word, for they are the word of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good." 2 Nephi 33:10

As I listened to this and pondered all that it meant, I was once again impressed by how much God loves His children. He has blessed us with a second testament that He sent His son to save the whole world. The Book Of Mormon truly testifies, as does The Bible, of our Savior, even Jesus Christ. I am grateful for my Savior and all He has done for me and all who have lived or will yet live upon the earth. 

To listen to the whole talk go to: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng#watch=video